Intrusive ads are infiltrating our daily lives and pushing us to buy and consume more than anyone could ever possibly need.
Now, ads are even making their way into our fortune cookies, serving us a helping of propaganda instead of good luck.
In a viral Reddit post to r/mildlyinteresting, one diner shared a photo of an advertisement replacing a fortune in a Chinese restaurant's fortune cookie.
"Fortunes replaced with ads at our fav Chinese place," the original poster wrote.
The ad is for a debit card and displays the message, "You will soon turn over a new leaf in your financial journey."
The tiny slips of paper in Chinese fortune cookies are a beloved part of many people's dining experience. They're nostalgic and quirky, offering bits of playful wisdom that we can share and spark interesting conversations.
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On the other hand, ads can encourage excessive consumerism, leading to financial irresponsibility and needless spending. Aggressive marketing campaigns target vulnerable populations and drive excess consumption to fuel corporate greed.
Overconsumerism also harms the planet, as producing more goods to fulfill customer demands contributes to planet-overheating pollution. One study revealed that just 56 companies accounted for more than 50% of global plastic waste across 84 countries in five years.
Yet, in the long run, buying fewer items each year can significantly help curb global temperature increases caused by human behavior. And buying less is financially and sustainably rewarding.
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Taking a personal stand against intrusive ads can look like rehabbing old furniture instead of buying new, repurposing used containers instead of throwing them out, and shopping at thrift stores for secondhand items.
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Fellow Chinese cuisine enthusiasts were outraged at what the OP found in their fortune cookie and how pervasive ads are when we least expect them.
"I would be irrationally infuriated by this," one Reddit user wrote in the comment section.
Another Redditor commented, "This is the quickest way to get me to stop going to your restaurant."
"It's pretty sad to see our entire existence turning into one big ad," another Redditor wrote.
"Disappointing," a fourth person agreed.
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